Welcome to the 2017 AASPS Conference information page. On this page you will find information about registration for the conference, the agenda, links to presentations and conference hotel reservation information.
About registration
Registration for the AASPS Conference is open to anyone from NSBA or any state school board association. We look forward to hosting you! Registration is $400 per person and includes welcome reception on Sunday; breakfast and lunch on Monday; breakfast, lunch and dinner and an outing to the ball park on Tuesday; and breakfast on Wednesday. The registration deadline is May 24.
The Hilton Columbus Downtown, the conference hotel
The conference hotel is the Hilton Columbus Downtown, one of the premier hotel properties in downtown Columbus and a 10 to 15 minute ride from Port Columbus International Airport. Hotel rate of $185 per night (price includes valet parking and internet) has been secured for those who make reservations before 5 p.m. on May 19. Please visit https://aws.paskey.com/e/1632781 to make reservations.
Agenda
Sunday, June 11
3:30-5:30 p.m. — Meet your colleagues/early registration (Hospitality Suite 310)
Monday, June 12
8 am - noon — Registration (Foyer)
8 -9 a.m. — Breakfast (King room)
9:00-9:15 a.m. — Conference greetings and introductions (King room)
Kenna S. Haycox, senior policy consultant, Ohio School Board Association, AASPS president
9:15 -10:30 a.m. — Update From Washington: Supreme Court and Federal Agency Activity (King room)
Learn about some of the legal developments from the U.S. Supreme Court, federal agencies, and Washington lawmakers that have taken place this year that impact schools as employers and as educational providers. We will also look at what is on the horizon in areas of law affecting schools
Leza Conliffe, Senior Staff Attorney, Office of General Counsel, National School Boards Association
10:30 a.m. —Refreshment break
10:45 a.m. – 12 p.m. — Where Does ESSA Stand Under the New Administration? (King room)
ESSA fundamentally changed the federal role in K-12 public education. With more authority now resting at the state and local level, we will discuss some of the key ESSA provisions, and how the new administration is making its mark on its implementation.
Leza Conliffe, Senior Staff Attorney, Office of General Counsel, National School Boards Association
12 – 1 p.m. — Lunch (King room)
1-2 p.m. — ESSA Impact on Policy Development (King room)
ESSA brings several changes for our clients. As policy providers what can we be doing to assist our districts in implementing the necessary policy changes? A practical look at necessary policy development and communication related to ESSA.
Maryam T. Brotine, Assistant General Counsel, Illinois Association of School Boards
2:15-3:30 p.m. — “What Were They Thinking? What Influences the Writing of State Education Laws.” (King room)
What factors determine why state legislatures pass some education-related legislation, ignore other education initiatives, and how is the final version of legislation is sometimes less than ideal? Insight will be provided into issues including who actually writes legislation, full-time vs. part-time legislatures, the length of legislative sessions, term limits, the effectiveness of professional lobbying, grass roots and “astroturf” lobbying, and the effect of influences such as money, politics and the news media at the State and federal level.
Ted Farnen, full maintenance editor, Missouri School Boards Association
Angela Palm, director of policy and legislative services. Georgia School Boards Association
3:30-3:45 p.m. — Break (refreshments)
3:45-5:15 p.m. — Cracker Barrel: Sharing from the States (King room)
Join us for a conference favorite. This fun, fast paced popcorn round is an opportunity for attendees to share what is going on in their state. Come prepared to share and learn!
Carolyn Counce, Texas Association of School Boards. AASPS president-elect
Dinner on your own
Tuesday, June 13
8 -9 a.m. — Breakfast.(King room)
Sponsored by MicroScribe Publishing Inc.
9:15 -10:15 a.m. — Constitutional Considerations (King room)
Join OSBA's staff attorney for a review of some of the 1st and 4th Amendment issues impacting students and schools. The presentation will include an overview of the constitutional issues faced by schools, and how and when those issues should be addressed through board policy.
Megan Greulich, Staff Attorney, Ohio School Boards Association
10:15-10:45 a.m. — Break (refreshments)
Sponsored by MicroScribe Publishing Inc.
10:45-11:45 a.m. — Breakout sessions
The Wide World of Web-Based Policy Platforms (King room)
Attendees will see a demo of various web-based policy platforms and how the systems are used to serve our members. Come away with tips for what helps systems work well and some of the challenges and successes associations faced in rolling out new platforms to subscribers.
Davelyn Smeltzer, Sr. Director of Governance Services, Pennsylvania School Boards Association
Janine Murphy, Assistant Legal Counsel, North Carolina School Boards Association
Angela Palm, Director of Policy/Legislative Service, Georgia School Boards Association
South Carolina’s Fractured Funding Formula (Hayden room)
Every state faces challenges regarding school funding that impacts districts we work with. This session will review the Abbeville case, the lawsuit challenging the equity and adequacy of state funding, that has spanned two decades and inspired the phrase, “The Corridor of Shame.” The discussion will delve into the politics and policy that has shaped the system and examine why, despite the final ruling, there is no foreseeable end date to the lawsuit.
Tiffany Richardson, General Counsel and Director of Policy and Legal Services, South Carolina School Boards Association
12 – 1 p.m. — Lunch (King room)
1 – 2 p.m. — Breakout sessions
ABCs: New Board Members and Their Policy Role (King room)
What do new board members need to know and how can we educate them? An ABCs on helping board members understand their key functions and how their policies impact them and guide their operations.
Jessica Goldstein, Deputy Director of Policy Services. New York State School Boards Association
Website Accessibility – What’s the Big Deal? (Hayden room)
With the increase in OCR investigations addressing website accessibility, our association members can no longer afford to ignore this growing issue. This presentation will provide an overview of recent developments, website accessibility standards, and steps our members can take to minimize risk. In addition, TASB will share its sample local policy and administrative regulations and discuss the accessibility journey for TASB’s internally developed Policy On Line® application, used by districts to display board policies online.
Carolyn Counce, Director, Policy Service, Texas Association of School Boards, AASPS President-Elect
2-2:30 p.m. — Break (refreshments)
2:30-3:30 p.m. — The Latest in School Law (King room)
An A thru Z rapid paced coverage of most everything of significance that has happened in school law for the last twelve months. Join us for a fun and informative session designed to get you up to speed on significant changes.
Stephen Bounds, Director of Legal and Policy Services, Maryland Association of Boards of Education
3:30-3:45 p.m. — Instructions for evening activity (King room)
5:00- 9:30 p.m. — Take me out to the ball game….
Co-sponsored by Content Technology Solutions
Join us at Huntington Park, home of the Columbus Clippers, affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. for a catered dinner and stay to watch the game and spend time with your policy counterparts. Dress is casual.
Wednesday, June 14
8 -9 a.m. — Breakfast (King room)
9:00-9:30 a.m. — Business meeting (King room)
Kenna S. Haycox, senior policy consultant, Ohio School Board Association, AASPS president
9:30 -10:30 a.m. — Helping Them to Help You (King room)
Ways to engage and empower district central office administrative assistants to understand and assist your agency with policy and procedures, services and various issues.
Kim Barker-Burton, Senior Policy Consultant & eMeeting Program Manager, Kentucky School Boards Association
Amanda Hale, Policy Consultant and eMeeting Trainer, Kentucky School Boards Association
10:30-10:45 a.m. —Break
10:45 – 11:45 a.m. — What Policy Nerds Discuss (King room)
A brief recap, analysis and discussion of the previous year’s list serve topics
Rick Stucky, Policy Specialist, Oregon School Boards Association
Roster
Download a roster of this year's attendees
Tuesday evening event at Huntington Park
Join us Tuesday evening to attend the Columbus Clippers minor league baseball game. Huntington Park, home of the Clippers, is less than a mile from the hotel and has won numerous awards for its energetic feel and vintage look. Dress is casual. Event is included with registration. Attendees can bring a guest to the Tuesday night Clippers event for $60/person. Preregistration required.
Sponsors
Thank you to our 2017 Sponsors:
Content Technology Solutions
MicroScribe Publishing Inc.
Travel info
John Glenn International Airport (CMH) is a major international airport providing easy access to Columbus.
From John Glenn International Airport, there are several convenient options getting to the Hilton. Taxis are readily available 24-hrs a day at the cab stand outside baggage claim. The 15-minute ride should run around $30. Be sure to clarify that you are going to the Hilton Columbus Downtown on North High Street by the Convention Center to avoid any confusion with other Hilton properties in the area. Guests can also utilize the new COTA AirConnect service which arrives every 30 minutes at ground transportation. At only $2.75 per trip, the AirConnect takes you to the convention center, downtown hotels including the Hilton, and back to the airport.
Columbus also has Uber car services as well as a number of private scheduled sedan services.
Dining and things to do
The conference hotel offers a contemporary presence in the heart of Columbus and is within walking distance to over 300 dining and entertainment venues. Attendees have easy access to the Short North Arts District known for its trendy dining options and galleries as well as the Arena District offering restaurants and nightlife attractions with live music and concert venues.
While at the hotel, the attractions of the Short North and Arena District are within walking distance. Other transportation options include: complimentary usage of one of our six bicycles, and Columbus has an active bike-share program (CoGo Bike Share) with stations throughout the city including across the street from the hotel. In addition, there is a car share program: Car2Go. The City has a complimentary "CBUS" bus service connecting the downtown neighborhoods of the Short North, Arena District, Downtown, German Village and Brewery District with specially branded buses with a stop right outside the hotel. The CBUS is a great way to explore the area without your own transportation and operates 7 days a week.
Visit www.experiencecolumbus.com for more information on Columbus.
Columbus weather
June temperatures generally range from 78-83 F and low temperatures range from 58-62 F. There is a 50% chance of rain during June. As always, we'll be hoping for sunny and 80F the whole week.
Questions?
Contact OSBA Senior Policy Consultant Kenna S. Haycox with questions at (614) 540-4000 or khaycox@ohioschoolboards.org